Air company "Kuban": carrier of the south of Russia

The airline "Kuban" is one of the most successful large Russian carriers in the south of Russia. The airline was based at the Krasnodar airport "Pashkovsky". However, in 2012, the company's operations were suspended due to bankruptcy.

Airline "Kuban": photos of planes, history

The enterprise was founded in 1993 on the basis of the Krasnodar Aviation Detachment. However, the year of the creation of the airline is considered to be the 1932nd, when near the Krasnodar state farm "Pashkovsky" landed 7 Po-2 aircraft. In 1933 the air base was created. The Krasnodar air squadron was formed in 1934. Flights were carried out mainly in the Krasnodar region.

During the war period, the air detachment was engaged in the evacuation of the wounded and the delivery of ammunition and fuel to the front. After the war, flight work was resumed.

In 1960, work was completed on the reconstruction of the runway and air terminal, and four years later the first Tu-124 jet was adopted. The second runway was built in the 80's.

In 1993, based on the air force, the airline "Kuban" was founded. In 2010, the rebranding process began - part of the fleet was decorated with a new livery with sunflowers. In the summer of 2011, the airline "Kuban" (Kuban airlines) entered into a leasing agreement for the delivery of 3 aircraft type A319 (Airbus). In December 2012, the operating activity of the air carrier was terminated.

Activities

Airport of the carrier "Kuban" - Krasnodar. The airline in 2012 carried out flights to 18 domestic and foreign destinations. Cargo and mail were also transported. In 2009, revenue amounted to more than 3 billion rubles, in 2010 - 3,37, and in 2011 - 4.07. In 2010, the company's fleet was replenished with 3 Boeing 737-300 aircraft. By 2012, it was planned to bring the number of Boeing aircraft to 8-10 units. As new equipment arrived, the old equipment was taken out of service. In 2010, Basic Element, which consisted of Kuban, signed a memorandum of cooperation with Sky Express shareholders, which, in essence, meant the creation of a new airline.

Aviapark

The airline "Kuban" operated the following aircraft according to 2010 data:

• Yak-42 - 6 airliners with 100 passenger seats.
• Yak-42D - 6 airliners with 100 passenger seats.
• "Boeing 737-300" - 3 airliners with 124 passenger seats.

Until 2007, there were 2 domestic Tu-154 aircrafts in the fleet, which were later leased. The average life of the Yak-42 aircraft was 23 years, and the Boeing-737 was 16 years. It was also planned to supply Boeing 737-700 aircraft. The enterprise also had its own aviation and technical base, which allowed to maintain the airworthiness of the aircraft.

Directions

Air tickets "Kuban" were sold in the following directions:

• Dubai (from Krasnodar and Perm).
• Yerevan (from Krasnodar).
• Kaliningrad (from Moscow).
• Krasnodar (from Moscow, Perm, St. Petersburg, Sochi).
• Moscow (from Krasnodar, Perm, Nalchik, Chelyabinsk, Kaliningrad, Sochi).
• Nalchik (from Moscow).
• Samara (from Krasnodar).
• Samsun (from Krasnodar).
• St. Petersburg (from Krasnodar).
• Sochi (from Moscow and Krasnodar).
• Istanbul (from Krasnodar).
• Tel-Aviv (from Krasnodar).
• Chelyabinsk (from Moscow).

These flights were carried out regularly. In addition, charter flights were also carried out on popular seasonal routes.

Bankruptcy

The airline "Kuban" in December 2012 announced the completion of its activities and the suspension of all flights. The official reason for the termination of operations was the lack of compliance with some of the new provisions of the FAP relating to the requirements for organizations involved in the performance of air operations. These changes in the Federal Aviation Regulations came into force in November 2012. This fact was revealed as a result of an unscheduled inspection by the inspection of the Southern Office for Air Transport.

After the inspections, the heads of the airline published an appeal on the site about the suspension of flights. Rosaviation also explained that the revocation of the license was due to the financial insolvency of the company and the ineffective financial and economic policy of the leadership. The total debt of the airline "Kuban" to service providers at the time of bankruptcy was approximately 5 billion rubles.

In March 2013, the media reported that the certificate of the operator was annulled by the Air Transport Agency. It happened because more than 3 months passed since the suspension of its operation.

Passenger Reviews

From positive feedback about the company can be identified:

• Excellent on-board service.
• Goodwill and affable cabin crew.
• Excellent nutrition during the flight.
• Excellent condition of the aircraft.
• Professionalism of pilots.

From negative reviews, one can distinguish:

• Problems with the return of funds for air tickets in connection with the bankruptcy of the carrier.
• A long refund for unused tickets.
• Frequent cancellations of flights.
• Narrow space between the seats.
• The high cost of air tickets.
• Problems in the return and reissue of tickets.

The airline "Kuban" was one of the oldest Russian civil aviation enterprises. She was engaged in the implementation of passenger, as well as freight and mail services. Passengers were offered more than 30 destinations in Russia, CIS countries and far abroad. For the entire time of the company's existence, there has been no aircraft accident, which indicates a high level of safety and reliability of aircraft. It was Kuban that made a significant contribution to the development of air transport in the south of Russia.